[Foundation-l] More on Wikimedia strategic planning

[Thomas Dalton]

2009/5/3 Jussi-Ville Heiskanen <cimonavaro at gmail.com>:
> Besides the off-planet complete database-backup I envisioned,
> another intriguing conceit would be to start on the process
> of transcribing wikipedia onto vellum with non-corrosive and
> persistent ink (I don't think there are enough stone tablets, or
> even clay for tablets to ever suffice, but vellum is clearly unlimited,
> if a little slow to come by).
>
> Naturally it would be reasonable to start the work on either the
> 1000 articles each wikipedia should have, or perhaps the featured
> articles or the like in each language. Or on the other hand, on the
> general theory of wikipedian ethos, simply as the spirit moved
> each actual artisan skilled in the art of old-fashioned calligraphy.

I like the idea, but surely there is a better way than hand written
calligraphy? At the very least, you could get an electronic printer to
print onto vellum. Etching or engraving on some mostly un-reactive
metal might work (although un-reactive metals are generally very
expensive, and not coincidentally). There may be some new fangled
option (probably made of carbon - most new fangled things are made of
carbon) that could be used. Going back to techniques that are 1000s of
years old has its merits (we have direct empirical evidence that they
work) but I expect there are better options.